


Go and Wake Up Your Luck

by Aishuu



Series: The Reluctant Hokage [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2014-10-03
Packaged: 2018-02-19 17:40:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2397056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aishuu/pseuds/Aishuu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tsunade hears about the new Hokage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Go and Wake Up Your Luck

|    
  
Tsunade's in Tea Country when the news of a new Hokage reaches her.  
  
It's been over a decade since she abandoned Konoha to its fate, but that doesn't keep her from being curious about what becomes of the village her family founded. Although she tries to deny it, her eyes still spark with interest whenever someone starts speaking of her hometown, or on the rare occasions that she runs into a fellow villager.  
  
Shizune knows this, and makes a point of trying to arrange those encounters whenever possible. Tsunade may be pissed off about what she's lost in Konoha's name, but Shizune understands that Konoha still rules her heart. Tsunade wouldn't be so angry if that wasn't the case; you can only hate what you truly love.  
  
So when a chuunin pair happens to run across Shizune's path while she's shopping, she makes sure to casually mention she's planning on being in the bar that night, and would welcome some company. It's not a falsehood, either – Izumo and Kotetsu are both cute, and she wouldn't kick either of them out of her bed. Not that she intends on sleeping with either of them, but if Tsunade makes her drink, too, well...  
  
They show up early enough in the night that Tsunade isn't completely sloshed. Shizune waves them over and pretends to be surprised, but her mentor's glare is accusatory. Thankfully, Tsunade doesn't choose to make an issue of it and lets the two chuunin sit down.  
  
Kotetsu immediately starts to try to wheedle a free drink out of Tsunade, while Izumo rolls his eyes. Shizune can tell which of the duo has the brains, since trying to get free _anything_ from Tsunade is like getting blood from a stone. Tsunade is so deeply in debt that she would need a one hundred foot ladder to even think about climbing out.  
  
Tsunade ignores him as Kotetsu tries to play on her good will (she has none), sense of charity (the only charity she supports is the Bank of Tsunade), and sense of duty (hello, she hasn't been back to Konoha in a decade which indicates what she thinks of duty).  
  
"At least buy one to Godaime's health!" he tries. "We should celebrate our new Hokage, right?"  
  
In the midst of sipping sake, Tsunade stills, surprised. "Godaime?" she echoes, her fingers tightening around the clay cup. "What happened to Sandaime?"  
  
Shizune tenses, her arms going rigid around Tonton. She hasn't heard anything about a change of Hokage, but then they don't often listen to news. If something has happened to Sandaime... Her eyes focus on Tsunade, wondering how her mentor will react.  
  
"He retired. Again," Izumo replies, stepping in to make sure his partner doesn't set off the female Sannin. "He passed the hat to his chosen successor, Itachi."  
  
"Itachi?" she repeats, before shifting her gaze to Shizune. Shizune shakes her own head in reply, indicating that she doesn't recognize the name, either.  
  
"He's only sixteen, but he's a genius," Izumo explains. "He's powerful enough, but doesn't really have much of a personality."  
  
"None of the Uchiha do," Kotetsu chimes in, crossing his eyes. "But Sandaime trusts him, so I guess that's good enough. Who cares if wallpaper is a more interesting conversationalist?"  
  
"He's an Uchiha?" Shizune is the only one who can recognize the tone in Tsunade's voice. She reaches out to put a calming hand on Tsunade's arm, but the blonde woman wasn't having it. Tsunade rises to her feet, smacking her fists down on the table, though thankfully not using chakra to enhance the blows. "There's an _Uchiha_ in charge of the village?"  
  
Kotetsu's playful attitude disappears, his back straightening as he realizes that he's just ticked off the slug princess. "He's dropped his clan name, but he's the son of the current head, Uchiha Fugaku," he answers.  
  
" _Uchiha_ ," Tsunade growls in disgust, turning to slam out of the bar. Shizune only has time to make a brief bow of apology before she races to follow her mentor – sticking the two chuunin with Tsunade's bill.  
  
Shizune doesn't even try to talk to Tsunade as her mentor stomps through town. People are backing away, and Shizune isn't an idiot. She knows Tsunade needs time to settle down.  
  
She understands the conflict Tsunade must be feeling. Although Tsunade dropped her clan name a long time ago, she is still a Senju. Her family founded the village with the Uchiha, but the two clans have never gotten along. The idea of an Uchiha as Hokage makes her angry, but she doesn't have any right to complain since she's practically a missing nin. She's rejected Konoha, but that doesn't mean she's stopped caring.  
  
Tsunade stomps her way across the town, with Shizune trailing at her heels faithfully. She finally stops at the town's casino, hurriedly finding a seat at the slot machine. Gambling has always been her preferred escape mechanism, so it's natural she seeks refuge there when she doesn't want to think. Shizune's too concerned to even think of pointing out that Tsunade can't afford to gamble.  
  
Tsunade plops a coin in and pulls the lever. The cherry symbol comes to a stop on the first row, then on the second. Shizune swallows, knowing what's about to happen as the third row clicks into place.  
  
Tsunade wins the jackpot.  
  
Shizune makes a choking noise, momentarily forgetting how to breathe as the coins stream forth. They need three buckets to collect them all. Her mentor stares down at the coins, her face tight and grim. Tsunade, Shizune knows, is the only gambler who wants to lose.  
  
"What's going to go wrong now?" Tsunade mutters, before shutting her eyes. "Why the hell can't I just ignore what's happening in that place?"  
  
"You're not going to?" Shizune asks.  
  
Tsunade squares her shoulders, determination written in the lines of her posture. "I may hate it, but I'll be damned if I let an Uchiha take over without a fight."  
  
"Didn't Sandaime-"  
  
"Sarutobi-sensei is too kind. Oro-" she pauses, changing her mind. "He wants to believe the best in everyone. The Uchiha Clan may be rotten, but they're also persuasive."  
  
Shizune's only known a couple of Uchiha, and doesn't want to lump an entire clan into the "evil" category. She can see Tsunade's point – Shizune's own encounter with Uchiha Tekka during the chuunin exams hadn't endeared the jutsu-copying clan to her – but tries to keep an open mind.  
  
"So what are we going to do?"  
  
Tsunade jiggles the coin bucket thoughtfully. "I haven't decided... but I think it'll be dangerous. Maybe that's a good thing, right? Doesn't every ninja want to go out with a fight?"  
  
Shizune nods, knowing she will follow whatever course her mentor charts. She hopes that Tsunade's concern isn't warranted, but fears that it is. The world hasn't recovered from the last secret war, but that doesn't mean Tsunade won't start another one to protect the Senju legacy.  
---


End file.
